It was in 1862 that Col. John Francisco chose this site to build a fort for commerce and protection.After purchasing a 48,000 acre piece of the Mexican Land Grant, this veteran of Santa Fe raised his adobe homestead, leased the rest of his holdings to ranchers and farmers, and sat on his porch with cronies from the frontier days. When the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad came through in 1876, a town inevitably followed.

La Veta, is Spanish for "the vein". How and why the town was named this is not confirmed. In the 1700s there were Spanish Expeditions looking for gold in the area. Could it have been in reference to gold? Or perhaps it referred to coal, or yaso, to whitewash adobe, or to the dike wall veins. More loosely translated it's not just a word but a description, meaning a central area in the opening of a valley.

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The La Veta Inn, originally built in the late 1800s, was recently completely restored and redecorated.It now features the amenities of a small mountain resort, including an elegant restaurant and bar, banquet and meeting facilities, a sunny central courtyard with an outside fireplace for festive dining, and unique guestrooms that feature beautiful antique furniture. Only 3 hours from Denver or Santa Fe with easy access from I-25.

La Veta Inn is located at the base of Southern Colorado’s majestic Spanish Peaks in the charming, historic town of La Veta. La Veta has the feel of a genuine western small town and is on Highway 12, the Scenic Highway of Legends. The Inn, in the center of La Veta, is within walking distance to many shops and art galleries. It is also within a few blocks from Grandote Peaks Golf Club, rated as one of Golf Digest’s top three courses in Colorado. Tons of outside activities are nearby, including the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Area, several mountain lakes for fishing, and the San Isabel National

Location: south of Pueblo on I-25, exit at Walsenburg and follow highway 160 west 14 miles to Highway 12. Turn south 5 miles to La Veta.